Joystiqhttp://www.joystiq.com
Joystiqhttp://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gifJoystiqhttp://www.joystiq.com
en-usCopyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/14/virtually-overlooked-week-erics-picks/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/14/virtually-overlooked-week-erics-picks/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/14/virtually-overlooked-week-erics-picks/#comments

Virtually Overlooked has taken over Wii Fanboy! All this week, members of the staff will be outlining their personal picks for future Virtual Console releases.

It was 1994 when Ahmad poignantly rapped, "Back in the days, when I was young; I'm not a kid anymore, but some days, I sit and wish I was a kid again." If scientists could only harness the wasted enthusiasm of our nostalgia, our cities would never want for electricity.

Remember the peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunches? Or the summer swims with the sun on your back, tanning your skin golden brown? The days you could set your heart on a girl you hardly knew at any moment, whether it be a winsome classmate or the clear-skinned brunette from Noxzema's hokey commercials? The nights when TGIF meant new episodes of Full House and Family Matters, and not after-work casual dining?

Each weekly batch of Virtual Console releases is a reminder of my idle youth. Some games I recognize only from magazine previews I read with eager eyes over a decade ago, and others are familiar friends -- titles I've been meaning to catch up with to recount years past. The whole gang hasn't quite made it to the reunion yet, but that doesn't mean we can't trade old stories about them in the meantime. "Sometimes, I still sit and reminisce ..."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bombermangame boyGameBoygenesislink's awakeningLink'sAwakeningmutant league footballMutantLeagueFoonespbopcpuzzle bobblepuzzle bobble onlinePuzzleBobblePuzzleBobbleOnlrescuerescue embassy missionrescue the embassy missionRescueEmbassyMiRescueTheEmbassretrosaturnsaturn bombermanSaturnBombermansega genesissega saturnSegaGenesisSegaSaturnskifreevoweekzeldaThu, 14 Jun 2007 11:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/02/sega-planning-to-cut-remaining-dreamcast-and-saturn-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/02/sega-planning-to-cut-remaining-dreamcast-and-saturn-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/02/sega-planning-to-cut-remaining-dreamcast-and-saturn-support/#commentsFiled under: BusinessWhere were you on 9/9/99? It's been almost 8 years since the Sega Dreamcast was launched in the United States, ushering in the "next" (and now previous) generation of gaming with the likes of Sonic Adventure, Power Stone and Soul "Is that intro in real-time?" Calibur. Despite a strong lineup, online gameplay (thanks, 56K modem!) and quirky memory unit minigames, the Dreamcast's momentum wasn't strong enough to halt the PS2's avalanche of hype. A few years into the system's lifetime saw Sega running out of steam and, more importantly, out of money.

Those still clinging to their Dreamcasts are advised to take good care of them now, with Sega's Japanese website announcing that malfunctioning systems will no longer be accepted for repair after 28 September 2007. The hilarious machine translation of the page also points out that the Sega Saturn will suffer a similar fate, shortly before spewing forth an incomprehensible "understanding it receives, the fish you say to ask." Fish? Is that like a "fix a man's system and he plays for a day, but teach him how to fix it and he'll play for years" sort of thing?

Though it's tempting to lapse into eulogy at this point, the Dreamcast will be around (and thinking) for as long as people still enjoy it. Sega might be hammering the final nail into the coffin, but the system inside is still alive and kicking... and screaming.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DreamcastNightsSaturnSegaSega DreamcastSega SaturnSegaDreamcastSegaSaturnSonicMon, 02 Apr 2007 11:09:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/18/wii-warm-up-sega-saturn-shiro/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/18/wii-warm-up-sega-saturn-shiro/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/18/wii-warm-up-sega-saturn-shiro/#comments"SegaSaturn, shiro!" means "Play Sega Saturn!" and is the catchphrase of the Saturn's Japanese mascot, the very burly and heroic SegataSanshiro. It's also what we've been daydreaming about since we heard all the Saturn-related rumors. We love that Sega and Nintendo are pals now, but we wish we could get a little bit more of the good Sega, and a little bit less of the Shadow the Hedgehog era Sega.

The Saturn is chock full of classic Sega awesomeness, and we want to know what part of that ... uh, full, uh, chock of awesomeness you'd plop your Wii Points down for first. We're in total speculation land here, so Japanese games are okay to suggest. Our pick? SegataSanshiro Shinken Yuugi, which we are desperate to play despite hearing that it's not very good. Listen to that theme song!

Another Sega Saturn-related rumor! Maybe Segata Sanshiro is hitting the press circuit, drumming up renewed interest in his favorite console.

The latest rumor comes from the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine, who placed a teaser image in the back page of their March issue, advertising that a revived classic would be revealed in the next issue. The image consisted of a field of stars with an outline of some kind of shape.

NeoGAFfers did some detective work and found the image that had been outlined: a character portrait of Sega's NiGHTS character. NiGHTS more than counts as a classic game! The implication here is that a new game in the series might be headed to the Wii.

We're still skeptical for a few reasons: first, the next edition of ONM will be the April issue, and it's imprudent to trust any news item that comes out in a game magazine in April. Second, the "revival" might be the original game on Virtual Console ... which would actually still be great. Finally, there's always the possibility that the NiGHTS picture was a deliberate misdirection, and the new game could turn out to be Dizzy or something. We hope that isn't the case-- Sega fans have been put through a lot, and many of us could snap at any moment.

We've posted both the original teaser image and the NiGHTS-added version after the break.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dreamseuropeintomagazinenightsnightsintodreamsnintendonintendo wiinintendowiirumorssanshirosaturnsegasega saturnSegaSaturnsegatasegata sanshirosegatasanshiroukwiiSat, 17 Mar 2007 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/13/remembering-segata-sanshiro-sega-saturns-dutiful-mascot/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/13/remembering-segata-sanshiro-sega-saturns-dutiful-mascot/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/13/remembering-segata-sanshiro-sega-saturns-dutiful-mascot/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Retro, BusinessSEGAForce.net remembers Segata Sanshiro, the outspoken hermit who trained with a giant Sega Saturn on his back. "Sega Saturn shiro!" he would shout, exploding grown men with a single toss; mercilessly beating club goers; and strangling little leaguers. But Sanshiro's violence was bound to honor (see the video of his death below) -- and for that he was praised.

Sanshiro's character is significant because it did not evolve from (or into) an actual game franchise. Developed solely for a span of roughly twenty commercials aired in Japan from 1997 through 1998 for Sega Saturn, Sanshiro would never truly transcend his TV roots; and would be limited to a few game cameos and a popular theme song turned music video. Nevertheless, this parody of legendary judo master Sanshiro Sugata continues to live on through YouTube and the like; a marketing device begging to be recycled.

Anyone who's been playing the recently released Street Fighter II on XBLA has undoubtedly noticed the Xbox 360's D-pad seriously cramps your combos. Fear not DIY-friendly gamers, there is a solution: Don't use the Xbox 360 gamepad. Remember the Sega Saturn, geared for 2D in a world of 3D consoles? The good news is the Saturn's gamepad has a well respected D-pad and, with some soldering skills, you can start rocking it on Xbox Live.

Here's how it works: Saturn controller gets plugged into a breadboard connected to a gutted Xbox 360 controller, so the whole thing is wireless (sort of). Fine, so this isn't the most attractive hack, but it illustrates a demand for an alternative gamepad. How long before some enterprising peripheral company makes a wireless Xbox Live Arcade pad?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>d-padGamepadSaturnSega SaturnSegaSaturnStreet Fighter IIStreetFighterIiXbox-360Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/19/you-got-sega-saturn-in-my-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/19/you-got-sega-saturn-in-my-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/19/you-got-sega-saturn-in-my-360/#commentsTwistedsypmphony, head moderator guy over at Xbox-Scene, tipped us off to his Frankensteinian project, the Sat-2-360 Controller Adapter. The adapter allows players to use a Sega Saturn control on the 360. Considered by many to have the best d-pad and button layout ever, the Saturn controller is perfect for Street Fighter II or the upcoming Mortal Kombat. The adapter is still a prototype -- and ugly as sin -- but the functionality is promising. The unit is (technically) wireless, though I'd pay for the same thing with a USB adapter.

If you'd like to learn more about it -- or make one yourself -- check out the forums at Xbox-Scene. For some X-tra credit, who wants to build me one? Anybody?

Now, if SEGA would get cracking on the Live Arcade version of Virtua Fighter 2...

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mortal kombatMortalKombatsat 2 360sat-2-360Sat2360sega saturnSegaSaturnstreet fighter iiStreetFighterIivirtua fighter 2VirtuaFighter2Wed, 19 Jul 2006 09:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/22/more-japanese-game-commercials-so-plausible-i-cant-believe-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/22/more-japanese-game-commercials-so-plausible-i-cant-believe-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/22/more-japanese-game-commercials-so-plausible-i-cant-believe-it/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Sony PlayStation 2, Portable, RetroNot content with brutalizing your brain the last time, Bits & Bytes & Pixels & Sprites have deemed it necessary to post another collection of bizarre Japanese video game commercials. This batch makes it very difficult to believe that the people who made them could possibly exist in the same reality as you, implying that all of this comes from an alternate dimension where disembodied heads, bunny-eared women and homoerotically charged controllers are very much de rigueur.

You'll find our favorite clip embedded in the second part of the post, chosen based on its high content of post-apocalyptic wastelands, Bomberman plushies, inhuman voices and Segata Sanshiro's patented man-flinging techniques. Watching it may cause you to explode. Come to think of it, there's an exploding man in there too.

Do not be alarmed; the above image came directly from IGN Dreamcast, showing how they might use sex to sell the website*. The website is now up and running at full speed, having made 3 TopTenlists (that's over 30 selections!), Dreamcast pr0n, retro Dreamcast 2 rumors (gotta love those), and a new game reviewed: Radilgy. They have even updated the master list of game rankings with 4 new entries.

At this rate, the Dreamcast site will be updated for at least another 50-60 weeks, allowing editors to easily keep their jobs keep providing new content until well past E3 2007. We love seeing our beloved console revisited, and we love how tongue-in-cheek the site can be. We'll check back next week to give you an update on IGN's latest retro-loving project. * If you find Cartman's plumber's crack sexy, please seek medical attention. Immediately.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Sega DreamcastSega SaturnSegaDreamcastSouth ParkFri, 09 Jun 2006 13:50:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/20/nights-into-dreams-onto-revolution/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/20/nights-into-dreams-onto-revolution/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/20/nights-into-dreams-onto-revolution/#commentsFiled under: Nintendo WiiCould this beloved
Saturn title float its way onto the Revolution? According to the latest Famitsu, there is a possibility Sega could
bring NiGHTS Into Dreams to Nintendo's next-generation offering, either via its Virtual Console or as a
sequel. The original game's controls would be a perfect fit for the RevMote: a flick of the wrist to point what
direction you want your featherweight protagonist to fly in a pseudo-3D world (the game was in 3D but you moved your
character very much like a side scroller).

As recent as 2000, NiGHTS creator Yuji Naka went on the record
saying he would not make a sequel to the game, since the original is so perfect: "Like the way Spielberg likes
E.T. so much he won't remake it, I don't want to make another NiGHTS." However, in 2003, Naka expressed
interest in making a sequel to NiGHTS as a way to "reinforce Sega's identity." We would love to see
another NiGHTS and, given Sega's close relationship with Nintendo, we are very hopeful this rumor becomes a
reality -- if not as a sequel, then at least as a Virtual Console download modified to utilize Nintendo's RevMote.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>SaturnSegaSega SaturnWiiThu, 20 Apr 2006 18:55:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/30/classic-bomberman-coming-to-xbla/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/30/classic-bomberman-coming-to-xbla/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/30/classic-bomberman-coming-to-xbla/#commentsOf the games guaranteed not to bomb if
they get dropped onto Xbox Live Arcade, Bomberman scored a respectable number ten. Now some bigwig
(read: "online marketer") at Hudson is saying that bringing Bomberman to XBLA is "under
evaluation" and that the Saturn version would be a prime candidate.

Saturn Bomberman is often cited as the pinnacle of
the series (feel free to disagree) and itself featured online play via the Saturn's "Netlink Playable"
service. Throw in Live support, eight-player multiplayer, all on a console that people are actually buying (fanboy
trivia: how many units did the Saturn sell versus the 360?), you have yourselves a hit of planetary proportions.

What does this say about the chances of the totally angst-ridden, badass Bomberman throwing a tantrum
on western 360s? Furthermore, of course it's "under evaluation." The entire internet has been asking for it!
If Hudson hadn't put two and two together by now, we'd be disappointed.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BombermanSega SaturnSegaSaturnThu, 30 Mar 2006 14:55:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/30/saturn-bomberman-being-evautated-for-xbl-arcade/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/30/saturn-bomberman-being-evautated-for-xbl-arcade/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/30/saturn-bomberman-being-evautated-for-xbl-arcade/#commentsFiled under: Arcade, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Online, PuzzleAccording to comments
made by a Hudson online marketing manager to 1UP, Saturn Bomberman - considered by many to be the best
version of Bomberman and one of the greatest multiplayer titles of all time - is "under
evaluation" for Xbox Live Arcade. The original Sega Saturn game featured a frantic 10-player Battle mode that
would likely be a huge draw for 360 owners looking for a simple, but addictive multiplayer experience. Let's hope the
evaluation process comes to that same conclusion.